>> these are the scenes live in johannesburg, these are scenes outside the home of the apartheid hero. it's morning in south africa, news coming in and other filters through, more and more joining the crowd. they've been singing and dancing. they don't just want to mourn his passing, they want to celebrate his life. nelson mandela was south africa's first black president known as the father of the nation. he died at the age of 95 surrounded by his family after a long battle with lung infection. >> people there throughout the morning and the night, let's be clear, have been singing and dancing, celebrating his life, but deep sat sadness that this

man seen, as the one who created the nation has passed. there's a lot of people that have mixed emotions. they are in mourning, but they are celebrating his life. one man drove past and scribbled all sorts of slogans to remind himself and people in the area how great nelson mandela was. it's before 8 o'clock. more are waking up. soweto is busy. we'll see how the day performance out. i'm joined by one person who has been here for hours, watching people celebrating. what is your name and when you heart about the news, how did you react. >> i heard about 1am. since that time i was awake until now.

i sam celebrating. celebrating what he has done for us. >> what has he done? >> he bring piece. he enjoys themselves. a lot has been changed. >> you were sick for a long time in and out of hospital. did the news of his death come as a shock to you. >> yes. south africa was shaking. but today since yesterday, south africa is shaky, now it is gone. what sort of future will south

africa have without nelson mandela. >> it's a wake up call. i think they need to - they instead to stand up and do - accept all that can be done, the exchanges that you want, no more fighting, i think that can be better now. >> and everyone is realistic. with understand that he was human and made mistakes, there's a long way to go. what issues are poor south africans facing today. >> even today, he was fighting the poverty. people get in front because of tata. like from now on, we don't know

what will happen. we significant know. what i can say is people, let's wait. tata used to play joke. let's do that. >> thank you. one of many comments of people here in soweto. it will be days of mixed emotions. i think a lot of people crying, celebrating his life, but generally the mood is let's celebrate, let's be like him and make south africa great. >> this is a man seen as a unifier. clearly his passing is a huge sadness to black south africans, but white south africans as well as have been giving you their reactions and they are upset also. >> exactly. i'll be a bit honest. i have lived and worked in south

africa. in southern africa the issue of race is there. there has been a lot of great strides made in south africa. people are getting along together. there are issues. and i think white south afri africa... ..when he became president he could have come out and said, "i was in prison for 27 years, black people were subjected to cruelty", he did not do that. he came out and said, "let's hold hands. i think minority were grateful. they owed a lot to hem. a lot thought the country would devenned into civil war. that said, there's a lot of work to be done, and people know and understand that. they are not living in an idealistic world. there's a lot of work, issues, poverty, unemployment. it's not a perfect country. people know they are not

perfect. they hope this will uni-item them and move forward. the key thing is the politicians, the rulers of the ruling party. can the afghan national congress inspire the nation and say the right thing where people hold hands and realise the dream that nelson mandela wanted. >> the anc are having problems. they are not the anc of nelson mandela's scandals. there's corruption scandals, break away parties and they are dealing with a lot of things. poverty. the gap between rich and pure. where you are, standing in the street in sa wetto, examples of this very close to you. >> the street i'm in now is designed for tourists. a lot of money went into the area. they struesed up the place. turists have african meals, music and dance. it's a great way to remember nelson mandela, and for the

country to earn money. the way people live here, some conditions are shocking. people don't have running water, electricity. there's huge unemployment here. a large amount of people who are jobless are the youths. they are acting questions to jacob zuma, to the a number of c, what are you doing about it. those are the issues being faced much the biggest thing on people's minds is the corruption scandal. it's alleged jacob zuma used taxpayer money po build his home. it is huge. it has a swimming pool. all sorts of things. south africans are saying, "hang on, when people can't send their students to school or buy food why is the politicians living in a certain way." people are frustrated and angry. what you see in the next

few days is people coming together. he was nelson mandela, their father. he's pretty much a member of everyone's family here, they love him. the next few days people will hold hands and give him a send awe. after that, you know, they'll be like, "what now? we have lost nelson mandela, the moral compass. who else is there to look up to, what will politicians do?" interesting times for south africa. >> yes, without nelson mandela. >> let's remind you of the announcement of nelson mandela's passing. it was announced last night, 8:50pm, south african time when nelson mandela's death was released to the world. president zoouma saying that he -- jacob zuma saying that he died peacefully at home. jacob zuma went on to say, "our nation has lost its greatest

son, our people have lost a father", jacob zuma made history becoming the first democratically elected president in 1974. he did it after spending 27 years in prison. mike hanna looks back on the life of a man who became a global figure. >> death does not deminnish the memory of beaming smile or the twinkle in the eyes. outside the hospital where nelson mandela laid, the crowds have been intent on celebrating a life as much as mourning his death. it was a life richly lived, one in which nelson mandela was prepared to give up everything, including this freedom, for what he believed. >> many feel it is useless and futile for us to talk piece against a government who attacks

unarm people. he spent $10,053 days in prison. for the public through decades. nelson mandela was a pace on a poster. few in south africa saw. in february 1990 he walked out of prison and returned to sow eto as a freeman. among his first words a tribute to those that fought. >> i have spoken about freedom in my lifetime. your struggle. your commitment, and your discipline. has released me to stand before

you today. >> nelson mandela negotiated with a government in prison for so long. finding f.w. de klerk, a man with whom he could do business. it was a process threatened by rampant violence. for nelson mandela, the process was never personal. >> we are not dealing with a man, with an individual. we are dealing with a government, we are dealing with a system. we are dealing with apartheid. >> as the country was pushed and pulled towards democracy, nelson mandela and f.w. de klerk were awarded the nobel peace prize.

nelson mandela voted for the first time. he became a president in a country in which he had once been an outlaw. one in which the people now governed. >> on this day you the people took your destiny into your own hands. you decided that nothing would prevent you from exercising your hard-won rights to elect a government of your choice. >> after one term as president nelson mandela did what few in the continent did before - stepping down with humour and grace. >> the time has come to hand

over >> at the age of 78 nelson mandela embarked on a new phase of life. arbitrating in a number of political conflict, no matter who was involved. no sign of loenlyness in a man who had been single exhibits divorcing his second wife winnie. a man who survived yisent and freedom. at the age of 18 he married again. the bride was graca machel, a union celebrated by all. >> my wife and i... [ cheering and applause [ cheering and applause ] >> a union that lasted for the rest of nelson mandela's life. >> ..my wife and i say thank you

very much. >> but before he died there was a chance for the world to thank him. >> on a chilly winter's night nelson mandela made his last appearance. acknowledging the roars of the crowd and stirring hearts as a world cup final was held for the first time in africa, the staging a couple of miles away from a soweto home where nelson mandela began his long struggle >> as nelson mandela's health failed. he was in and out of hospital spending his 95th birthday in intensive care. countless millions paid for him. the principal cause of illness a lung infection. he spent 87 days during his final stay in hospital, then the government announced he returned

home, his condition stable but critical. until the last breath nelson mandela caught the odds. nelson mandela's legacy found in the colours of a democratic south africa, emblazoneded in the sky. above all the legacy is found in the minds of ordinary south africans - black and white, the people he led to freedom. >> live pictures from johannesburg where people are gathering to pay tribute to nelson mandela, laying wreaths, they've been singing and dancing, sipping about his work. these pictures from outside his home where he went back to after suffering a lung infection,

which he picked up working in robin island. his body has been moved to a military hospital. >> nelson mandela's struggle to liberate south africa inspired him. some used it to become leaders themselves and they paid respect for madiba. patty culhane has more. >> who else in the world could make this happen? within hours of his death a moment of silence at the united nations security council. across the globe there's universal mourning for nelson mandela. at the white house president obama left a hanukah reception to send this message of gratitude. the day he was released in prison gave me a sense of what human being can do when guided

by hopes and not fears. like so many around the gloeb i cannot imagine my life without the example that nelson mandela set. so lopping as i life, i will do what i can to learn from him. world leaders say he was for you will all the face of forgiveness. >> he was a trial of justice and inspiration. many around the world were greatly influences by his struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. >> tonight one of the write et cetera lights of our world has gone out. nelson mandela was not just a hero of our time, but a hero of all time. >> i legend for the powerful and the people on the streets of time square from all around the globe. >> it's a big loss for all of us that he died. i do. >> god bless him and his family.

god bless all the people he fought for. i hope his legacy lives on. he fought hard for a lot of good people. remembering how he fought and lived. a legacy unlikely to ever be forgotten. >> all the messages of condolences have been coming in from around the world. >> it's a sad and emotional day for the people of south africa. nelson mandela will be remembered for being an incredibly inspirational leader, a beacon of hope for the people of south africa, and someone that believed passionately in reconciliation, someone that leaders looked to and spoke to. for the people of new zealand , someone we have had great admiration for. >> >> translation: today we lost a man, a brother. for the poor, those

discriminated. those humiliated all their lives. he will remain a source of strength, a guide and inspiration. we will never forget his life, his work is a drok doctrine of libber ration, not just for south africa or america, but those on earth. >> he was a great leader focussing on national reconciliation. i pray for his spirit to rest in piece. >> more reaction from aira. rob mcbride joining us from budget. what has beijing been saying about the passing. >> the first official reactions came from the top as you expect. president xi jinping issued a

statement broadcast on state television, expressing sorrow, condolences and talking about the great contribution that nelson mandela made to south africa from china relations. china in the past decade or so has established relationships with a number of african relations. nelson mandela is a part of that process. he's been here twice to china. he was a well-known figure here and elsewhere throughout the world and the premier has given a statement which is also broadcast on the television here. expressing sorio on behalf of all chinese people, given the universal matter, where everyone thought nelson mandela was their forehand. people in china expressing their condolences, active with tributes passed by ordinary

chinese people about nelson mandela's passing. >> the exercised thing about nelson mandela is he uses inspiration by world leaders and is seen as an inspirational person by people at a grass roots level struggling for civil rights and equality. he was seen as a down to earth person. when we talk about ordinary people in china, how did they perceive him? >> very much so. there are a number of comments on social media we are reading here going behind the normal tributes, getting into controversial areas, political criticism of current conditions in china. there are dissending voices arguing that the kind of things that nelson mandela fought for throughout a lifetime of struggle, social political process - some are in existence

in china. there are people who identify with his struggle. we saw a comment saying that what china lacks right now is any kind of leader with nelson mandela's integrity. from another here, someone quoted on wavo, the chinese version of twitter. someone expressing the wish that there would be a chinese nelson mandela, someone that could bring about the chance that south africa won't through. >> how do you categorise the relationship between chinese and south african leaders? there's a lot of investment in african countries by china, some of which has been criticised by other people. >> that's right. there has been an active business relationship starting between the chinese government. so much investment throughout

various parts of africa. infrastructure projects, and along with that comes influence. now, how much of that is influence to expand china's role, to increase its brens in the world, making it felt and becoming a power to be reckoned with in terms of business and diplomatically what influences come oi lang with it. it's as controversial area. are for the moment, people here are talking about nelson mandela as an influential character the impact he made on the world. >> thank you for that. rob mcbride giving us the view from beijing. >> australia's former foreign minister gareth evans was the first foreign official to speak to nelson mandela after he was released from prison in 1990. nelson mandela's reconciliation process was his major achievement, he said. >> i never met a more impressive

or decent human being before or sips in my political life. the absence of malice from his gaolers of 27 years. he up communicated it to me and where it happened the most, the white south african minority. it was not the blood shed everyone feared. he knew that the critical thing to get the process uvered was to have a united country, not a fearful alarmed anxious community, and he knew he had to manage that rechon sill jags process. that's what he did. i think whatever the short comings in the south africa of today, in his own presidency in delivering or meeting the expectations, it is impossible to imagine in terms of the

hatred and bitterness and advice of the past. that's the measurement of his achievement. >> nelson mandela says that the system of apartheid robbed children of their right to education and joy of reading. he dedicated his charitable works to the needs of the people, setting up the nelson mandela children's funds. let's listen to him talking to a group of children. >> how are you? >> hi. >> hello. when i was young like you i used to sing ♪ twinkle twinkle little star ♪ how i wonder what you are

♪ up above the world so high ♪ like a diamond in the sky >> yes? (clapping) >> all right. let's sing. ♪ twinkle twinkle little star ♪ how i wonder what you are ♪ up above the world so high ♪ like a diamond in the sky ♪ twinkle twinkle little star ♪ how i wonder what you are (clapping) >> you do it better than i do. very good. now, who wants to play teacher amongst you? . all: me. >> good.

>> just an amazing snapshot of nelson mandela's life. let's speak to ricco. he runs a nonprofit foundation for youth and is also a friendful nelson mandela family. he joins us from new york. good to have you with us. listening to the last little - the sound bytes of nelson mandela with children. it's clear that he was not an aloof figure where youth and children were concerned. he was able to talk to them and cared about their wellbeing and welfare. >> absolutely. thank you for having me. it's a pleasure to be on. right. when i heard that those wonderful kind words of madiba, a relative to my life, it's very touching, and you hit it on the

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